Allegations by the Mediapart website accused senior national team
officials, including head coach Laurent Blanc, of plotting to introduce quotas
limiting the numbers of ethnic minority players in the France side.

The commission's interview with Blanc has been delayed until early next
week and Sports minister Chantal Jouanno will await the commission's conclusions before etermining what action, if any, will be taken but told Sud-Radio: ''The idea of quotas is completely idiotic and has no place in the sport. It is an absolute nonsense, the only thing which counts is to pick the best
players from a physical and mental point of view.''

FFF president Fernand Duchaussoy claimed that he had been prompted
to address the issue ahead of the commission's final summary after the issue
threatened to place ''the honour of a sport'' under scrutiny.

In an impassioned statement on the organisation's website, he said: ''The
honour of football is to be against all forms of selection which do not deal
exclusively with sporting matters. It is to say and demonstrate that the word
'quota' cannot be applied when it designates ethnicity or race. Neither scouting
nor training can be filtered on racial grounds.

''The honour of football is also a principle: the freedom to choose. French
football has no call to overcome the established rules and must respect this
freedom. The choice of a dual-qualified player is sovereign.

''Football is a universal, democratic and indiscriminate sport, a ground for
the creation of social links. The idea of rejecting this goes against its
popular and universal essence.

''Accusing football of racism is hurtful to thousands of trainers who, all over
the country, commit their time and energy to clubs and young footballers with no
discrimination by race, religion or nationality.

''Hundreds of thousands of youngsters from all backgrounds find, in football, a
chance to integrate. This is why I fight, and will continue to fight, for the
honour of football.''

The alleged quotas would limit the number of black players and those of north
African origin entering national training centres and academies at the age of
12.

Lyon forward Bafetimbi Gomis - born in France to Senegalese parents - won five
caps for Les Bleus between 2008 and 2009 and said: ''I chose to play for France
despite the origins of my parents. I feel that France is my country and I dream
of being called up again.

''What is important for French football is to be winning World Cups, regardless
of the colour of the players in the side. But it's true that you must consider
yourself French to play for the France team.''